How Much Expenses is a Grad Student Responsible For?

<p>I've heard numbers closer to $10,000 - $15,000 for humanities stipends.</p>

<p>
[quote]
Folks, what are the stipends like for humanities and social science programs? I think it's common knowledge that sciences and engineering receive HIGHER stipends than the non-sciences

[/quote]
</p>

<p>Is it really common knowledge? </p>

<p>I can tell you right now that there are certain business PhD programs that pay MUCH BIGGER stipends than the natural science/engineering PhD programs at the same universities. I think we can all agree that business is neither a natural science nor engineering. I would personally classify it as something of a social science. For example, at one rather prominent university that shall remain unnamed, some of the natural science and engineering PhD's are getting paid in the low 20's. The business Phd's are getting paid 31. </p>

<p>I believe somebody told me of a case where he knew that the economics PhD's at his school were getting paid better than many of the engineering PhD's at the same school. Economics is a social science.</p>

<p>whats is the case for international students in science majors ?</p>

<p>I would be more than just happy if they paid the tuition fees only .. I'll spend 10 yrs of my life collecting the rest</p>

<p>Hi i'm interested in doin grad sch economics...</p>

<p>does that mean that most if not all PhD programs are fully covered in tuition fees if u qualify for the program?</p>

<p>so stipend fluctuates based on university?</p>

<p>hmmm..wonder if there's a stipend list by uni/subject! heh...</p>

<p>Kt - yes, things vary from school to school and between departments in a school. </p>

<p>At the schools I'm looking at for Classics/Classical Archaeology, the stipends vary from the low teens to mid twenties. The lower rates are at relatively rural universities with very low COL. In some cases there are departmental and/or university wide competitive fellowships that provide more money.</p>

<p>hi folks,</p>

<p>just an update on my situation. i emailed the contact at berkeley with regards to finances. here was the Q and the A.</p>

<p>My Question: Is the $21 000 typically over and above the estimated fees, or is that stipend used towards the fees, and hence, I would have to cover my actual living expenses? </p>

<p>The Reply: The UCB PhD in Vision Science offers students 2 years of support through a Federal NIH Training Grant. Unfortunately, because this is a federal grant funds can only be dispersed to US citizens. This means that you would be responsible for the entire cost of the program including tuition, fees and living expenses. This minus whatever fellowships you may be eligible for.</p>

<p>the info given to me is conflicting with what has been stated in this thread - that I would essentially be given tuition waivers etc. - but the reply i got clearly states i'm responsible for those costs. the reply even seems to suggest i would not be eligible for the 21 000 stipend.</p>

<p>so what now? i guess it's department-by-department in regards to funding? if i really AM responsible for all the costs, i almost certainly could not attend.</p>

<p>I don't think there is any conflict with what's been written here. You're talking about one specific funding source - an NIH training grant. Now it happens that if you're not a US Citizen then you are not going to be eligible for the NIH funding. </p>

<p>Their website also states in regard to funding:</p>

<p>These sources together ensure that almost all PhD students in Vision Science receive 5 years of support covering stipend (a minimum of $23,500 in 2004-2005), plus tuition fees, health insurance, and conference travel.</p>

<p>So you'll probably want to call (not email) the department and have a chat about admissions and support for Canadians. </p>

<p>You'll also want to look at:</p>

<p><a href="http://www.grad.berkeley.edu/financial/deadlines.shtml#entering%5B/url%5D"&gt;http://www.grad.berkeley.edu/financial/deadlines.shtml#entering&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p>

<p>This is where you'll find things like "For international students, nonresident tuition is included for all years of their fellowship tenure."</p>

<p>So don't freak out just because you're not eligible for ONE funding source. Study the appropriate web pages and then call (not email) the fellowship office at 510-642-0672 and find out what they can do for you.</p>

<p>I'm wondering if a student makes it clear in the application process that they need assistance for tuition and living, does this affect in any way the admissions decision. That is, given two students applying and one needs assistance and one doesn't, is the one that doesn't given any greater consideration for this reason?
Thanks for any insight any of you have.</p>

<p>Yes. Unless a college states that they are "need-blind", this seems to be common practice. That's why people who absolutely need funding should apply to more schools than those who don't. One school I'm applying to even asks on the recommendation form whether the recommender knows if the candidate requires financial assistance... I don't hold out high hopes of making it in there.</p>

<p>Since you are Canadian, try NSERC or CIHR for possible funding sources. </p>

<p>Here is some info from the NSERC web-site:</p>

<pre><code>Each year, NSERC approves a limited number of PGS awards on a competitive basis for tenure at universities outside Canada. The selection committees will rate the relative merit of each justification based on:

  1. the need to pursue graduate studies abroad due to the unavailability of a suitable program of research or the required facilities at a Canadian university (the availability of the program will be considered, not simply whether the specific thesis project can be carried out in Canada); and
  2. the benefits to the applicant of studying abroad (e.g., unique opportunity to train in a world-class laboratory) and the relative excellence of the applicant in relation to competing applicants. </code></pre>

<p>Justifications based on program unavailability, as described in (i) above, will be given priority. Preference is given to doctoral-level applicants.</p>

<p>Good luck.</p>

<p>
[quote]
I believe somebody told me of a case where he knew that the economics PhD's at his school were getting paid better than many of the engineering PhD's at the same school. Economics is a social science.

[/quote]
</p>

<p>I guess a more appropriate distinction would be between those majors that have funding coming from industry or government interests versus those that don't. If you are studying something like 16th Century French Lit, think about the fact that there would be a lack of outside people who would be willing to fund your research. Engineers get funding because industry needs there innovative research to stay ahead. Econ PhDs get funding because someone or some company can eventually make money from your grad school work.</p>

<p>^</p>

<p>That is a good point. However, in Literature there are a ton of specialised modes of study one can get into. You need to work things hard with the Societies which pertain to the area of lit. you would like to specialise in. But, there is totally not any hard core funidng for lit. at all as near as I can tell. There is a ton of stuff where one can do research abroad at the grad level, but there is not as many things with funding like the sciences and whatnot. </p>

<p>Dirt made a really wonderful point!</p>

<p>now that people have begun to hear back from schools, does anyone have anything more to share on this issue?</p>